An American scientist has proposed a rather radical method for extending the lifespan of male mammals. Kat Bohannon, the author of the book “Eve: How the Female Body Influenced 200 Million Years of Human Evolution,” says castration can extend the lives of male mammals.
Bohannon shared these ideas with the audience at the Hay Festival in Wales.
She told the crowd that men have long searched for the key to longevity, “smuggling two tiny deadly nuggets.” Research suggests men can gain a few extra years through orchiectomy, the surgical removal of the testicles.
Doctors observed this effect in the mid-20th century among male patients in American hospitals who were castrated for mental health reasons.
Bohannon also pointed to historical Korean eunuchs, a topic The Guardian covered. A 2012 study in Current Biology found that 81 eunuchs born between 1556 and 1861 had an average lifespan of 70 years—about 14.4 to 19.1 years longer than non-castrated men. The study’s authors suggested that male sex hormones may shorten male lifespans.
Bohannon said the link between orchiectomy and lifespan may relate to the immune system and cellular regeneration. Men are more susceptible to infections across their lives, more likely than women to develop cancer, and generally have lower chances of reaching old age. Castrated men, by contrast, tend to live longer.
The question remains what to do with this finding. It’s hard to imagine men embracing such an extreme way to extend life.
